NEWBERG - George Fox women's volleyball team continued its strong start in the 2018 season with a 3-0 win against New Rochelle (N.Y.) and a 3-0 against Illinois Tech. The Bruins start the season 4-0 for the first time under the direction of head coach Emily Davis.

Recap -vs. New Rochelle

The Bruins picked up where they left off the previous afternoon with another commanding performance in the first set. After jumping out to a 10-5 lead the Bruins cruised through the finish line with a 25-12 win in set one to establish themselves against the Blue Angels.

New Rochelle played the Bruins much tighter in the second set, matching point for point in the later stages of the second stanza. A late three-point burst created the separation for GFU to take the set with a 25-23 final.

With the momentum firmly on the side of the home squad, New Rochelle slipped back again in the third set. GFU ran out to a 15-9 lead midway through the third set and kept building its lead until the end, finishing off the sweep with a 25-16 victory. The Bruins used a 5-0 run to close the match with kills Danyle Dupray and a block set by Mckenna Gabriel and Ashtyn Butler.

Top Performers -vs. New Rochelle

Liv Alexander led all players with 11 kills and hit .474 against the Blue Angels in the sweeping victory, and Dupray recorded another double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs. Laney Search dished a match-high 25 assists and Madison Ross was just behind her with 21 dimes. Alyssa Burch patrolled the middle of the net, tallying eight kills and five blocks for the Bruins.

Recap -vs. Illinois Tech

The Hawks gave GFU all it could handle in the opening set, but the Bruins showed their mental toughness and hung on for a 26-24 win to start the match. The Bruins surrendered a 24-20 lead late, but rallied at the right moment to clinch the set one win.

Coach Emily Davis and her staff refocused the Bruins for set two and the results were immediate – GFU jumped out to a 17-7 lead by the midpoint of the second set and captured a 25-12 win after long service runs by Ross and Lawrence from the line.

The Hawks of Illinois Tech regained their composure early in the third set and tied it up at 12-12, but a 7-0 run with Dupray at the service line gave the Bruins the final edge they needed for a sweep. The two teams traded side outs down the stretch but a seven-point cushion allowed GFU to notch its second sweep of the afternoon with a 25-19 win in set three.

Top Performers -vs. Illinois Tech

Alexander led all players again in the second match of the afternoon, finishing with 12 kills and a .304 attack percentage. Sophia Lawrence led all players with 12 digs, Search and Ross combined for 33 assists, and Aryah Marlow paired with Burch for three blocks apiece.

What It Means

The Bruins have some early momentum as they ready for their first road trip of the season next weekend. Coach Davis was pleased with the outcome of the tournament, saying, "We handled some matches today the way we should have, and that's always nice to see – we had players rise to the challenge and it was nice to get some bench players in for the experience."

What Comes Next

The Bruins hit the road for the first time in the 2018 season with a four-match tournament hosted by Colorado College. GFU plays tourney host Colorado College on Sept. 7 at 1:00 pm and Minnesota-Morris at 3:00 pm.